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<\/a>Books in which both the content and outward appearance are outstanding are rare and hard to find. A lovely blog dedicated to beautiful books is Charlotte\u2019s Besonders Buch<\/a>. There\u2019s also the Stiftung Buchkunst<\/a>, which annually honors the most beautiful books\u2014a very interesting source for especially well-designed volumes. Many of you probably know the B\u00fcchergilde<\/a>, which also specializes in releasing especially fine editions\u2014though, in my view, with mixed success: their designs haven\u2019t convinced me so far (with the exception of \u00dcber Bord<\/a> by Rudyard Kipling and Heart of a Dog<\/a> by Mikhail Bulgakov)\u2014but of course that\u2019s always a matter of taste. On Petra\u2019s blog Elementares Lesen<\/a> you\u2019ll also find beautiful non-fiction editions from time to time, and it shouldn\u2019t go unmentioned here. Kathrin at Phant\u00e1siereisen<\/a> likewise presents many gorgeous books\u2014for example by the French illustrator Benjamin Lacombe, as well as English-language deluxe editions of classics.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Beyond that, there are a number of publishers who are very skilled at creating beautiful books. I\u2019m particularly fond of mare\u2019s slipcase series and also the Hanser Classics reissues<\/a>. But there are also numerous individual books that sometimes feel like small works of art\u2014for example Alice\u2019s Adventures in Wonderland & Through the Looking-Glass<\/a>, illustrated by Floor Rieder, or Die Zukunft des Mars<\/a> by Georg Klein. If you browse my blog, you\u2019ll find more very beautiful books\u2014first and foremost the now fairly well-known S.<\/em> \u2014 Ship of Theseus by J. J. Abrams and Doug Dorst<\/a>.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n I haven\u2019t explored the graphic novel field enough yet and want to catch up on that. I do have a soft spot for illustrated volumes, not only in photography. Generally, though, I find it quite difficult to discover truly beautiful books. Of course I don\u2019t choose my reading purely by looks. I appreciate dtv\u2019s paperbacks\u2014even though they tend to look well-worn after a single read\u2014and the Diogenes editions, which are very appealing apart from the dust jacket. But books that are genuinely artful and crafted with lots of care are hard to find\u2014and they always end up getting my vote. For classics, I often turn to the lovely Manesse editions, which I\u2019ve written about many times.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n I also greatly appreciate successful, beautiful illustrations. Together with a clean production, they can enrich a book immensely. I\u2019m thinking of the drawings by Michael Whelan<\/a>, who illustrated the first edition of Tad Williams\u2019s Osten Ard saga. As he reports on his site<\/a>, he will also be artistically accompanying the continuation of the Osten Ard series\u2014and when I think of the sensitivity with which he managed to translate the mood, the landscapes, the winter, and the characters from the book into visual form, I\u2019m all the more excited for the sequel.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n The new German-language edition of the Osten Ard series was ultimately designed by the Turkish artist Kerem Beyit<\/a>, and the books are enhanced there as well. I love artful illustrations, including game artwork\u2014an art form in its own right\u2014when you see how artists use drawing tablets, Photoshop, and a huge amount of talent to create wonderful images out of nothing. You can find some lovely pieces among my favorites on deviantart.com<\/a>, and you can get a glimpse into the scene on CGSociety<\/a> and several other sites. There\u2019s an interesting video on YouTube<\/a> showing how such an image is created.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n How about you?<\/strong> Does the appearance of a book matter to you, or do you not care at all? Do you have gorgeous editions on your shelves? If so, which ones? Do you have a truly excellent recommendation for me?<\/p>\r\n\r\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" If you\u2019ve been reading here for a while, you know I have a soft spot for the book arts\u2014and I bring that up again and again in my reviews. I want to write a little about the love of beautiful books, because I suspect many of you feel the same. When I go looking for … <\/p>\n<\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a>
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